County-Funded Installations

There is no funding available to address new citizen petitions at this
time.

General Conditions

The county will determine the locations, quantity and size of the
requested streetlights required to properly light a given area to meet
adopted illumination standards. For a typical residential roadway, the
span between streetlights is 150-170 feet. Contingent upon the
availability of funds in this program, there is no direct cost to the
property owners/residents for the installation of the requested
streetlights (unless Mercury Vapor streetlights are requested). For more
information about streetlights and eligibility please see a Petition Form. In addition,
Fairfax County will assume all costs associated with the operation and
maintenance of eligible streetlights. Petitioners may review (if
requested in the petition form) the streetlight layout for their
information and comments. Thereafter, a final street lighting layout is
sent to the utility company for engineering and cost estimating purposes.
The utility company may need easements from the property owners, and
these easements must be granted at a nominal cost ($1.00) to the utility
company. The utility company will send for signature easement agreements
and plats to those home owners where easements are needed. The
installation of all streetlights is governed by the Board of Supervisors'
adopted policies, the terms and conditions of the contract with the
utility companies, and Virginia Department of Transportation
requirements.

Special Streetlight Programs

If you require any additional information about the programs listed
below, please contact the Streetlight Engineering Team at
703-324-5800, TTY 711 or email to
streetlights@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Communities Contributing Funds For Streetlights

If funds in the Citizen Petition Streetlight Program are not available
at the time of the request, the petitioners have the option of providing
the necessary funds for the installation of new streetlights. Upgrading
Existing Streetlights: Older streetlights that do not meet current street
lighting standards will be upgraded by the county upon citizen request.
This is contingent upon availability of funds at the time of the request.
The upgrading of existing street lights shall conform to the Policy and
Procedures Governing Requests to Upgrade Existing Streetlights.

Eligibility Requirements

Only Virginia Department of Transportation maintained roadways are
eligible for streetlights. A Petition Form (PDF) must be
submitted to the county and be signed by at least a simple majority of
the residents whose property abuts the section of road to be lit. The
area for which streetlights are requested must meet current approved
eligibility requirements, i.e., "Selected Nighttime Event Rate"
and "Accident Rate" as determined by the Fairfax County Police
Department.

Lighting Fixtures

The available lighting fixtures shall consist of the standard
"Cobrahead" or the "Colonial" style fixtures. The
Colonial style fixture is intended for use in residential areas that meet
all of the following conditions: